President George W. Bush will meet Valerie Chaffin when he arrives in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Wednesday, July 7, 2004. Chaffin is an active volunteer with Guardians ad Litem of Wake County as an independent advocate representing abused and neglected children.

President Bush has called on all Americans to volunteer two years or 4,000 hours over the course of their lifetimes, and he created the USA Freedom Corps to help foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility. Since January 2002, President Bush has met with hundreds of individuals around the country, like Chaffin, who are answering the call to volunteer service.

Chaffin, a paralegal, has volunteered for the past 14 years with Guardians ad Litem, and is responsible for promoting and protecting the best interests of the children during the two years they are assigned to her care. In addition, she works with Friends of Guardians ad Litem, a grassroots non-profit organization that provides goods and services, such as school backpacks, Christmas gifts, and academic tutoring, to at-risk children. Chaffin has also devoted hundreds of hours of pro bono paralegal work for Hunton & Williams law firm, and she created the Elder Law Clinic at a local independent living facility to give residents free professional assistance with will preparation, insurance questions, and other legal concerns.

The USA Freedom Corps has launched “A Call to Summer Service”, an initiative to encourage Americans to spend a part of their summer in volunteer service. Through “A Call to Summer Service,” citizens are reminded that the summer months are an excellent time to answer the President’s Call to Service, strengthen their communities, and extend the compassion and greatness of America. Interested volunteers can find ideas for summer volunteering and information on how to get started at www.usafreedomcorps.gov.

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